A Disappearing Craft & Craftsmen
and the beginning of a beautiful journey
It all started as a passion project.
AMAMI was born out of a desire to create livelihood opportunities for talented Filipino craftsmen we got to know and whose stories deeply touched us.
In 2017, a former artisan told us:
"You're going to die if all you do is make tambourines."
But we thought:
How was a tradition so beautiful on the verge of dying out?
And why is it that no one knew about it?
What was it like at the start?
0 Sales in 2 years
Not only did artisans have to look for other ways to pay the bills, they were underpricing and losing thousands of pesos in a futile attempt to sell, without even knowing it!
Despite rising costs of raw materials and a meticulous process involved, many artisans unfortunately undervalue their work, even commenting how surprised they were that we took interest in their craft!
At the same time,
One of the last remaining artisans was about to leave the country
The reason being to look for a job overseas like he did in the past. Yet, he admitted he would rather stay in the Philippines with his family and practice his craft if the circumstances were different.
What did you do?
We knew time was ticking
The first thing we did just days after meeting was work on costing and pricing with the artisans. We spent weeks together brainstorming, testing and revising to get it right and ensure they were finally fairly compensated for their work.
Fresh out of college and with limited resources, we then reached out to sell our first collection to family and friends, our first customers, in case we could convince the artisan leaving to stay.
Bridging the past, present & future:
A Filipino Legacy
Today, we are excited to share with the world a piece of our proud heritage as a Filipino people: centuries-old jewelry traditions perfected by our ancestors, rich with stories, and meant to be passed on for future generations of Filipinos.
The Estela: honoring an artisan's wife
Partners in Change
